Even in Round 2, Lakers D’Angelo Russell: “Timberwolves held me back”

The Minnesota Timberwolves may have a track record of parting ways with a number of NBA players prematurely, but this team holds the longest chapter of point guard D’Angelo Russell’s career. After all, any team that has D’Angelo Russell on their roster eventually comes to learn that, while solid on the basketball court, DLo comes with his own set of problems.

Fans of the Los Angeles Lakers know all too well that it was Russell who recorded his teammate Nick Young as he admitted to cheating on then-fiance music performer Iggy Azalea, and then released that to the public, ending Young’s relationship with Azalea. While that was not a problem that occurred on the basketball court, neither Nick Young nor D’Angelo Russell’s on-court performances could insulate them from off-court controversy. That led to the Los Angeles Lakers parting ways with both Russell and Young.

From there, D’Angelo Russell forged a new career with the Brooklyn Nets and did well there. But DLo has struggled to find the maturity to find contentment wherever he ends up, and even with the Nets, he began to find fault. The Nets seemed to hold an ideal situation for Russell, but it did not last.

Eventually, his chapter with the Nets ended as quickly as it had appeared. He chose to sign with the Golden State Warriors as an NBA free agent. Well, it was more of a sign and trade.:

"” I knew I wasn’t going back to Brooklyn . . . I never knew exactly. I just kinda—you work with these guys every day. You see the same players, you see the same coaching staff, you see the same trainers every day. So when they start to act a little different, you recognize it. … I could feel it.” – D’Angelo Russell as quoted by Bleacher Report’s Megan Armstrong"

And then he played for the Golden State Warriors. It was supposed to be the last piece to an NBA dynasty. But he had the chance to sign with the Minnesota Timberwolves, a team that coveted him and made no secret of their wishes to add him to their roster.  That was not how that chapter was written for either the Timberwolves or D’Lo.

He wanted brighter spotlights, a bigger stage, and bigger stacks of cash than he believed he would get playing at Target Center.